In the world of running, it doesn’t get any more iconic than the Virgin Money London Marathon. Especially when you’re in it. So round up a running buddy or three and join the Men United team to help win the fight against prostate cancer.

Apart from being a hugely enjoyable day out, the marathon is #NotJustAVest for Men United runners. It’s about making a real difference to the lives of thousands of men facing prostate cancer. It’s about keeping friendships alive.

Join us and beat the streets of London for men across the UK.

Meet the team

At the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon our Men United runners smashed the through the £400,000 mark. Here are just some of the team members. Read their stories and find out why it’s #NotJustAVest for them.

Fay Allen

“My Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer in August 2012, our lives were turned upside down that day. Dad was always fit and healthy and had never had a serious illness in his life, so his diagnosis took us all by surprise. In September we were told he had a very aggressive form of the disease and the cancer itself had spread to his bones. I was due to get married in Italy later that year, but the doctors informed us that there was no way Dad would be able to travel. My fiancé and I rearranged our wedding and brought the date forward so that Dad would be able to walk me down the aisle. Then, after one of his most positive days out of hospital, we noticed Dad’s catheter was not filling up. We drove him back to the hospital to get it checked out, but unfortunately Dad never came out of hospital and passed away with his family by his side on May 3. I had my wedding on May 19, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done, as my Dad means so much to me, and to not have him by my side really hurt. For me it’s #NotJustAVest, it’s an opportunity to remember my Dad and do something good in his name. I wanted to do it for him.”

Peter Ryan

“I was diagnosed with prostate cancer on 5 April 2013. As an officer in the army I’ve always had to be very fit and aware of my health, and being in my 40’s I never thought prostate cancer could happen to me. I had my prostate removed on 30 May 2013 followed by a course of radiotherapy in July, August and September and I have been on hormone therapy since being diagnosed. I started training for the marathon before I even had a place to try and get back to fitness as soon as I could and to manage the weight gain side effects of the hormone therapy. Being selected to run for Prostate Cancer UK was a huge honour and a cathartic process for me. Running the marathon was hard, I do not think I trained enough but I was never going to give up and when I crossed the line I become very emotional. I wanted to run to say thank you and to raise awareness but it became much more than that for me, I wanted to show people that being diagnosed at 43 is not the end but the start of a whole new chapter!”

Lisa and Bobbie Fisher

“We decided to run the marathon this year in memory of Tony, my husband and Bobbie’s father who passed away from prostate cancer in June 2013. Tony did a lot of work to support Prostate Cancer UK and we wanted to continue his work. He was only 49 when he died and we wanted to raise money to help stop other families going through what we’ve been through. For us, running the marathon was very special. It was #NotJustAVest, it was for Tony.”

What we can offer

When you join our team it’s #NotJustAVest that we offer you. It’s also the opportunity to make friends with like minded runners and dedicated training to help you achieve the time you want on race day, as well as fundraising support to help you smash your fundraising target.

We know that getting sponsorship can be a bit daunting, which is why our website is packed with fundraising resources to help you on your way. There’s lots of advice including how to raise £2,000, ideas on how to fundraise with friends and tips on what to do if you’re raising money two years in a row. We also have a dedicated fundraising team on hand to help you reach your total.

Once you’ve crossed the finish line, you’ll be invited to our post-race reception with massages, refreshments and an opportunity to meet the rest of the team.